Allan oummings



UNTTED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

ALLAN CUMMINGS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BALLOT-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,256, dated May 18, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN CUMMINGS, ot New York city, county and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved Ballot-Box for Securingthe Purity of Elections; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description there of with and by the aid of the drawingsherewith, of which- Figure l is a section and Fig. 2 an exterior view.

My invention consists of a sheet metal box surmounted by a conical orpyramidal cover hinged at The base of the cover is a plate of glass a,a, and the sides of it are of perfo rated metal or wire nettingsupported by the angle straps or frame Z), Z9, constituting the cornersof the cover. Its truncated apex is sealed over with a sheet metal crownpiece from which projects a short metallic nozzle or tube 0, whichcommunicates with a glass tube c, as shown which traverses the entiretop, vertically, ending just through and below the glass plate a, a, inwhich it is fixed.

By this arrangement the ballots that are inserted one by one at c, arevisible in single file for some time, the insertion of each onedisplacing another at the lower end of the tube, it being understoodthat they do not, owing to the spring of the paper and its friction inthe tube, drop directly through as a general thing, but afterthe'ballots have descended into the body of the box its entire contentsare constantly visible while the polling lasts and before it coinmences.The wire netting while not obstructing the view protects the tube andplate a from injury.

(l is a simple wire bail or handle.

What I claim, is-

The peculiar formed cover or top combining the glass plate a transparenttube c and the wire screens constituting the sides all for the purposeand substantially in the manner described.

ALLAN CUMMINGS.

Witnesses ANDw. DOUGLAS, J. A. STOUTENBURGH.

